Lovely childcare

[January Childcare] Traditional New Year’s Games! A Collection of Ideas to Enjoy with Children

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

Are you wondering what kinds of activities to include in childcare in January? January is a perfect time for children to get familiar with Japanese culture through traditional games and seasonal recreation.

Here, we introduce New Year’s themed play ideas such as invisible-ink drawings (aburidashi), lion dance (shishimai), and shell matching (kai-awase).

Traditional games are full of elements that nurture children’s creativity and concentration.

They offer many ways to play—moving their bodies with friends, using their hands to make things, and more.

These ideas are also perfect for events in childcare settings, so please use them as a reference!

Childcare in January: Traditional New Year’s Games! A Collection of Fun Ideas to Enjoy with Children (51–60)

buzzing top

Spins Great! Whirligig Made from a Milk Carton – Handmade New Year’s Toy [Daycare/Kindergarten]

buzzing top

Fun to make and play with for New Year’s! Here’s how to make a whirligig (spinning button toy) using a milk carton.

First, open up the milk carton and let it dry.

Cut off the bottom of the carton.

Also cut off the spout.

Fold the carton in half with the inside facing out.

Next, draw an oval outline on the carton.

Cut along the outline, then draw a daruma on both sides.

Use double-sided tape to stick the two faces together.

Color it with crayons, make a hole in the center, and thread a kite string through.

Punch the holes along the carton’s fold line, tie the ends of the kite string, and you’re done!

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menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)

menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)

menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)

As we welcome the New Year, how about introducing the traditional game of menko to children? This is a Japanese folk game played with printed, colorful cards.

Simple yet profound, it will be a fresh challenge for kids.

You can enjoy various play styles together, such as okoshi, where you flip a card by slamming another onto the ground, and tsumi, where you stack cards and knock them down.

Through these activities, children can experience New Year traditions while fostering communication and cooperation.

Menko also carries cultural value and is popular as a collectible.

Why not incorporate menko, a piece of traditional culture, into New Year activities at nurseries and kindergartens?

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Dice game

Dice game New Year’s games Part 2

Dice game

When it comes to New Year’s, it’s all about dice games! Here’s a rock-paper-scissors-style dice game you can enjoy with kids.

Play in pairs.

Each player holds a die and says, “Dice rock-paper-scissors—shoot!” then rolls.

The simple version is that the higher number wins, but you can make your own rules to keep it fun.

For example, if you decide that the lower number wins, even small rolls can be exciting, so it’s fun whether you win or lose.

Highly recommended!

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first calligraphy of the year

Folklore Play Newspaper #39: “Kakizome (New Year’s Games – Extra Edition)”

first calligraphy of the year

Enjoy the spirit of Wa (Japanese harmony) in January! Here’s an introduction to kakizome that you can enjoy with children.

If you have a calligraphy set, you can start right away, but if not, you can substitute with a brush, a container, and either liquid ink or even black paint.

Kakizome, writing characters or pictures at the beginning of the year, is said to carry the wish for improving one’s handwriting.

It’s also fun—and recommended—for kids to try writing the names of their favorite characters or animals.

Why not take this opportunity for adults to enjoy kakizome together with children?

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Lion dance play

New Year’s Games 2022

Lion dance play

Fun to make with kids! Here’s a New Year’s craft featuring the shishimai (lion dance).

Although the shishimai can sometimes scare little children, it’s considered lucky—so why not try making one together by hand? Materials include newspaper, colored tape, colored plastic sheets, colored pens, colored construction paper, and cardboard for the lion’s face.

The most important thing is to enjoy creating with your children, so feel free to get creative with whatever you have at home.

It’s also great fun to have your child become the shishimai and celebrate the New Year, so we highly recommend it!

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